Rahul Gandhi visits Ayodhya temple

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi offered prayers at Ayodhya’s Hanuman Garhi temple, becoming the first member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to visit the UP town since the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992.

Mr Gandhi stayed away from the disputed Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site, only a km from Hanuman Garhi where the 46-year-old met Mahant Gyan Das, known for his anti-Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) stance.

His father, late Rajiv Gandhi, had visited Ayodhya nearly 26 years ago. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has campaigned in Faizabad, but has never visited Ayodhya.

After his 15-minute closed-door meeting, the Mahant said, “Rahul came to seek blessings. When one seeks blessings, one definitely comes for the fulfilment of some wish. We pray for his welfare.”

The Mahant said that he gifted a silk shawl and a photograph of the temple to Mr Gandhi but there were no talks of the Ram Janambhoomi dispute.

Mr Gandhi’s visit to Ayodhya is part of his 2,500-km-long Kisaan Yatra ahead of next year’s Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. Adding a dash of soft Hindutva, he has been visiting Hindu religious sites as part of his campaign that started from east UP’s Deoria on Tuesday.

His election strategist is of the view that the Congress must win its original constituencies of Muslims, brahmins and a section of the non-dalit other backward castes (OBCs) as it makes a serious attempt at an impact in UP, which it last won 27 years ago.

Mr Gandhi later attended a roadshow in Faizabad after which he is scheduled to visit the Kichaucha Sharif Dargah, a Muslim shrine in Ambedkar Nagar.

Elections are likely in UP in February-March next year, and the Congress is desperate to reverse its 27-year exile from power in the state.

Mr Gandhi was in Ayodhya on Friday during his Kisan Yatra that began in Deoria earlier this week. As per schedule, he will be in Azamgarh, which is represented by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in Lok Sabha, on Saturday.